Safety appliance for switches



. Fb-4g11930 J. FL ll-ufuziD-OCK4 1,745,418

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR SWITCHES Filed July 25, .1928

32 [NVE/v TOR JOSEPH /F/mvoocx.

HTTORNEK Patented ',Feb. i4, ".1930

TEsf

PATENT OFFICE l JOSEPH r. HAnnocK, or VALLEY PARK, MISSOURI SAFETY-LAPPLIANCE FOR SWITCHES application Yined July 123,

' safety appliance v4which will prevent .the

f '5 justed position, to either open or'vclose theA switch,should-the'fswitch-stand for any vrea--` sonbe 'accidentally destroyedor vknocked,

Switchpoint Yfrom -beingmoved from an adovers" e,

Such injury to the switch-stand is of not infrequent occurrence, and isusually caused by the door on a grain or other type of freight carbreaking loose vfrom its supporting brackets at the bottom and swingingoutwardly from the side ofthe car and hitting the` switch-stand as thetrain passes it.` In this way,`the switch point-may be either moved `toyclose the switch or inthe opposite' direction to'open it, dependingrupon whether the switch-stand isghit4 by a train entering a siding' orby one leaving a siding, with the Vresult `that the nextftrain trackwill be derailed.

e I am aware that attemptshave beenmade to provide against suchyaccidental operation fof ,ther'switchg butv so 'far' as my knowledgeeXtends,th'e Onlydevice that has found recognitionisione which operatestoholdthe switchr f 1 point vagainst a `rail ofthe main line. It is 36jthe yobject of myinvention to provide means for preventingytheaccidental shitingjof the switch either from its closed to its'wopenposition or from its open'to its closedpositi'on. i f' With this vobjectin view,f my invention" consists in' theprovision of novel manually-yoperable fmeans ,for locking the switch"y in i' either of its adjustedpositions, whereby'if the switch-stand be accidentally knocked overorbroken downfby engagementof a swinging itoccupied *whenI the'`accident fto the switchstand occurred. Y Y i,

Other objects and advantages of Vlthe -invention'will be apparent 'from'thevv description of the invention to4 follow. ,n i In the accompanyingdrawing-f rIhisinventionl relates toirailway switches, (and has foritsfgenera'l objectvto .provide al passing over the i c Figurel isalplanviewgof my 'improved-,1.

192s; serial No. 294,724.

safety appliance applied to a standard type of switch;

- FigurefQis a. cross-sectional viewl on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation on anenlarged scale of the lockingdevice;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the same; Figure 5 is a section onthe line 55 of Fig. 4; and Y Figure 6 is a section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5. y

Referring now to the drawing, the numerals l, 2 indicate the main linerails, andthe numerals 3,' 4, the switch; rails,` the main line railshaving they switch point 5. The switch rails are connected together asusual by tie-rods 6 and the switch rail 4 and switch point 5 areconnected t-oward their outer ends; by an actuating rod 7 which extendson one side of the track to a switch-stand 8, of the usual construction,having a leverk 9 adapted to be lifted and turned vtomove the, switchthrough the actuating bar 7, Adjacent to the end of the switch point,andpreferably between two cross-ties 10, I sink in the road-bed endwisea section of cross-tie l1 which is adapted to support the liXed memberof my locking device." This locking device; in its entirety will now bedescribed;

Connecting the switch point' and switch v rail 4 between thecross-tiesflO is a tiefrod l2 which, as shown by Fig, 2, is bentdownwardly atv either end to project below the level of the 'road-bed,which is excavated toA a depth of, say, half a foot, for this purpose.The supporting block 1l embeddedin" the roadebed as above described, islocated. Y

' about centrally oi' the excavated portion of f the road-bed betweenthe tracks, and mount- .edon this supporting block arev two angle plateseach of` which has a base 13, secured Vto the supporting block 1l byspikes 14 and an upstanding ear indicated, respectively,

by the numerals 15 and 16 (Figs. 3 and 4i),k

said earsV being apertured to receive a bearing bolt y17 on which islpivotally mounted ythe locking vmember indicated generally bythenumeral 18 (Fig. 8). This locking niemv ber comprises a plate `19which is provided with a bearing at its inner end to receive the:following manner :r

Securedon the upper side ofthe tie-rod atV bearing bolt 17 and at itsouter end is provided with two locking flanges V2() and 21 eX- tendingin opposite directions therefrom. `Projecting from its outer end is ahandle 22 to facilitate raising and turning the lockingl with acorresponding aperture 24e-ofthe earl 16 when the switch point5`is'against the main line rail 1, as shown, said apertures beingadapted to receive the staple 25 of a loclr26.y Mounted onthe` tie-rod12 in sepa-- rated relation to each other are two locking blocks .271and 28 (Fig-r3), whichr are preferably secured in position onthetie-rodin the suitable distances apart thereon are two blocks 29 and30, the upper surface of each of which is corrugated, as indicated at 31(Figs:

3`and-5 fAs themannerof mounting thetwo Y lockingv blocks is the same,the following-descriptionfwill referto the locking block 27,

l shown at the left of Fig. 3. Y

'The block 29 is secured to the tie-rod 12 by means of bolts 32 theupper ends of which are counter-sunk in the upper surfaced of the block,as ,indicated at '33. The locking 'block 27 .hasitsunderside'corrugated, as indicated Y atl34, t'o engage inthecorrugations 31 of the vblock 29., and is secured in adjustedposition thereon'bymeans of a bolt 35, the nut 36 of whichisrcountersunkin the upper surface offthenlocking block 27, as indicated at 37.The'body of the vblock 29 is provided with a -slot 38 `and its undersidewith acorresponding groove"38a,which latter receives the heady 39 ofbolt 35 to permit of the locking'bloclrL 27 being moved in one directionor the other on Y said blockv29. Thatis to say,'rby loosening the nut 36l'of bolt' 35,'tlie locking block 27 can be raisedto free'the engagementvbetweenl the corrugations v31and 34 and the block then moved tothe'left'or right, as shownby Figb,

in `which,movement the bolt 35.will slide in 'the slot` 38 and its headin the groove 38a.

' These locking blocks, as shown by Fig.y 3', are

designed to beengagedV by the locking flangesV 20andi'21 of the lockingmember 18, and the adjustment ofthe-,locking blocks described is Y: topermit of a close'engagement between the locking member and said lockingblocks. In the position shown, the locking member 18 has beenfturnedtothe right in Fig. 3 to cause the flange21 thereon to engage over the endof 'the -locking block 28, in which position the switch point 5 will beheldin locked position against the main line rail 1.

0lxeforeitv is possible to change thev position connecting the same, apairrof blocks secured ofthe switch, the operator must first remove 'theflange 20 will slide overthe upper side of left sothat it will occupythe dotted position shown in Fig. 3. WhenA the 'lever 9 of theswitch-stand is now operatedv to move the switch point 5 away from themain line rail 1,

which causes the locking member to be slightly raised asthe lockingblock27 is moved underit by the movement of the tie-rod 12 and causes 1 thelocking A member to assume the proper angle of engagement with the endof the lockingblock when it fallsover the same, j y

as shown at the right of Fig; 3. Y

In either of the locking positions of theV locking member, it will bereadily seen'thatf no accidentto the .switch stand can possibly changethe position of the* switch point 5, so long aswthe destructive yforceis not great enough to destroy the integrity of the'entire structure,which would seldom, of ever, be the case.

By observing Figs. land 2, it will be seen that the actuating bar 12 andthe locking device-18 arek located below the level of the roadbed, andthat the locking device is located midway between the two rails of thetrack.

This arrangement tends to prevent any accidental injury to the lockingdevicey from cons tact therewith of any part of a car passing that-withVmy construction, such action is'impossible as the brakeman cannot haveaccess to the locking member ,18 until thelast cary on, the train haspassed beyond it, and, of course, he must, as explained above, lift thelocking member 19 and turn it from engagement with one locking blocktorest on the surface of the other before he can manipulatethe switchle-y ver 9gto shift the switch. s f

. .The construction illustrated represents the best embodiment of myinvention now known to me,but1 wish it' understood that except as'recited in the claims, Ido notwish tobe limited to thepreciseconstructionfand arrangesuch"rearfcar to be derailed. It is obviousmentvof parts shown, as I contemplatethat V Von the tie-rod, a pair oflocking blocks ally-operable locking member mounted in fixed vpositionbetween the vrailsof the track and adaptedfto be turned into engagementwith said locking means in the closed or open position of the switch.

2. A safety appliance for railway switches l comprising a pair yofswitch rails, a tie-rod connecting the same, a pair of locking blocksmounted on thetie-rod and having supporting surfaces inclined outwardlyin an upward fdlrection, and a manually-operable locking memberpivotallymounted in fixed position betweenvtherailsof the track and adapted to beturned into engagement with one or the other of said locking blocks tohold the switch in the yopen or closed position, and to be turned fromsaid engagement to rest upon the inclined surface of the locking blocknot engaged, whereby when the switch is turned to its otherposition thelocking block on which the locking member rests will slideundcr andraise the locking member until the latter falls by gravity off of andinto engagement with switch rails andzan actuating rod for operating thesame from a switch-stand a tierod connecting the switch rails andindepend# ent of said actuating rod, locking means mounted at separatedpoints on the tie-rod, and a manually operablelocking member pivotallymounted at its lower end in fixed position and having a projection onopposite sides thereof adapted to be turned into en- Y gagement withsaid locking mea-ns in the closed or open position of the switch.

4. Asafety appliance for railway switches comprising, in vcombinationAwith a pair of switchrails and an actuating rod for operating the samefrom a switch-stand, a tie-rod connecting the switch rails andindependent 1 of said actuating rod, a pair of locking blocks mounted atseparated points on the tie-rod, and a manually operable locking memberpivv otally mounted at its lower end in vlixed position and. havingprojections on opposite sides thereof adapted to be turned into en-Lgagement with one or the other of said locky 'ing blocks to hold theswitch open or closed position.

in either the 5. A sla'fety'appliance for railway switches comprising,in combination with y.a pair of switch rails and an vactuating rod foroper-` ating the same from a switch-stand, a tiej rod connecting theswitch rails and independlent lof said actuating rod, locking meansmounted at separated points on the tie-rod,

and a manually operable locking member pivotally mounted at itslower endin fixed position between the rails ofthe track and having projectionson opposite sides thereof adapted to be turned into engagement wit-h jmy hand.

Yating the same from a switch-stand, a tierodr connecting the switchrails and independent of said actuating rod, a pair of locking` blocksmounted at separated points on the upper side of the tie-rod, and amanually operable locking member pivotally mounted at its lower end infixed position between the rails of the track and having projections onopposite sides thereof near its outer end adapted to be turned intoengagement with one or the other of said locking blocks to hold theswitch in either the open or closed position. f

`7. Apsafety appliance for railway switches comprising a pair of switchrails, a tie-rod conccting the same, a pair ofy adjustable lockingblocks mounted at separated points on the tie-rod, and a manuallyoperable locking member pivotally mounted at its lower end in fixedposition between the main rails of vthe track and having projections onoppo- Vmeans mounted at separated points on the upper side of thetie-rod, and a manually operable locking member pivotally mounted at itslower end in fixed position and having projections on opposite sidesthereof adapted to be turned into engagement with said locking means tohold the switch in either the open or closed position.

9. A safety appliance for railway switches comprising, in combinationwith a pair of switch rails, a tie-rod connecting the same and bentdownward at either end to extend between its ends below the level of theroadbed, relatively fixed locking means mounted on the upper side of thetie-rod in the interkmediate lowered portion thereof, a support anchoredbet-Ween the rails of the track and below said tie-rod, and a manuallyoperable locking member pivotally mounted at its lower end on saidsupport and of a length to'extend above said locking means andhaving'projections on opposite sides thereof near its outer end adaptedto be turned into engagement with said locking means in either theopenor closed position of the switch.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set rosari-i F. HADDock.

